


Missing Piece Of Me

by alisayamin (sh_04e)



Category: Blue Lock (Manga)
Genre: Alpha Nagi, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Art School, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Awkwardness, Banter, But not really either lmao, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Living Together, M/M, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Soulmates, Romantic Soulmates, Scent Marking, Scents & Smells, Slow Build, Soulmates, Telepathic Bond, and share injuries, but with a twist, isanagi, nagisagi, omega isagi, who can feel each other's emotions
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 02:22:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25895869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sh_04e/pseuds/alisayamin
Summary: “I don’t like coffee.”Isagi suddenly frowned as he stopped writing his soulmate’s order. “Then why theheckdid you order a macchiato?!”“You said it was nice.”Isagi was this close to throwing hands with his alpha soulmate as he shouted animatedly, “For a coffee lover!”Isagi is pretty sure he doesn't have a soulmate.Meanwhile, Nagi is a little amused with his.
Relationships: Bachira Meguru & Chigiri Hyouma & Isagi Yoichi & Kunigami Rensuke, Bachira Meguru & Isagi Yoichi, Chigiri Hyouma/Kunigami Rensuke, Isagi Yoichi/Seishirou Nagi, Kunigami Rensuke & Chigiri Hyouma & Mikage Reo, Mikage Reo & Seishirou Nagi
Comments: 9
Kudos: 118





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I have no excuse for writing this fic, enjoy. (Yes Nagi is unreal in this fic, let him be)

Ever since he was young, Isagi would hear everyone talk about their soulmates - how their soulmates felt, echoes of their soulmates’ thoughts, what new scars they noticed on their body, etc.

“I think mine was a little sad today,” Isagi once heard his kindergarten friend say.

Or his neighbor's kid shouting at Isagi at the playground, “There’s this new scratch on my knee! I think my soulmate has a cat!”

And sometimes even his relatives who just seem to know how their spouse is feeling even though they were miles apart.

No matter how young or old, people always talked about their soulmates. It was natural because every minor detail could be felt by the other. Everyone knew their soulmates inside and out without ever meeting them. That was what made soulmates so special.

Some could even tell their soulmate’s biology based on the emotions and reflective injuries they had to endure.

Isagi though, he had always doubted that he even _had_ a soulmate.

He’d never felt much. Maybe just whispers of annoyance or happiness but even that, he was sure it was all just him. When it was hypothesized that he might not have a soulmate in this lifetime or that his soulmate may have already passed, Isagi just accepted it for what it was. Maybe he’d get lucky next time.

For the next decade or so, Isagi went about his life with his ‘soulmate’ put in the back burner. For all he knew, his soulmate may not have been born yet.

His family and teachers saw him as the normal possibly-beta child. One who was lucky enough to live his life without the burden of another. Everyone expected him to be a plain beta without a soulmate. However, when he ultimately presented as an omega, suddenly those looks turned to pity.

“An omega…? Without a soulmate?”

“How pitiful…”

“What a tragedy…”

Isagi would hear it everywhere he went. He hated it. So what if he was an omega without a soulmate? It wasn’t the end of the world. Maybe that was why he had recessive alpha genes. It made him uncharacteristically independent for an omega and a more vocal and violent one to boot.

Isagi wasn’t afraid of telling others to piss off and the pitiful looks he received as a teenager after he presented only made him stronger. He didn’t let anyone backtalk his soulmate-less status and often got into verbal spars with his peers.

Life got a little better after a stressful high school life when he was accepted into an arts program and he met the eccentric Bachira whose biological makeup was exactly like Isagi’s. Isagi had sat next to Bachira at orientation and the moment they picked up the other’s scent, they stared at one another for one second too long before Bachira grinned.

“Bachira Meguru!” Bachira had said while extending a hand for a shake.

“Isagi Yoichi,” Isagi had answered in a daze. He never thought that there was someone like him.

Unexpectedly, Bachira had pulled his hand back at the last second and hit Isagi’s head instead as a prank. After that, they hit it off almost immediately.

In all of Isagi’s life up to that point, Bachira was the closest thing Isagi could call his friend. Of course, later on they made a lot more friends together on campus but they still stuck together. Soon, they were instantly known as the inseparable omega pair. It wasn’t so much as co-dependency as it was their very unique biological resonance with each other that made them gravitate towards one another. 

The dorms were separated according to their secondary genders. Despite the comfortable quarters, Bachira and Isagi still felt off when they were around pure omegas. Their recessive alpha genes did not blend well with their fellow omega dormmates. Both of them were domineering without meaning to be and most omegas shied away from them. Which was why they both decided to collect some money by working as part-timers at a small café near their campus. By their second year, they were able to move out from the dorms and into their own studio apartment right above the café they worked at.

Omegas weren’t usually given part-time jobs but their biological makeup was for once, helpful, since their omega appearance made them look like unintimidating baristas and their recessive alpha genes enabled them to not take any shit from their customers regardless of primary and secondary genders. Bachira was all smiles but his tongue could give a quick lash when he was irritated. Isagi wouldn’t even try to talk it out if a customer got too rowdy or hormonal or just down right rude, he’d just bodily kick the customer out. 

Surprisingly, their attitudes merely attracted more and more customers. The café was secretly known as the café where omegas didn’t have to worry about overly dominant hormonal alphas and where everyone could just enjoy a nice cup of coffee with sweet freshly baked pastries. The café owner was so proud and happy with their service that he decided to just take them both on permanently for as long as they were willing. Two beta workers and the owner worked the morning shift while Isagi and Bachira handled the evening shift after their classes on weekdays. And then by popular demand, two of them worked full-shift on Saturdays with the café being closed on Sundays.

With the extra tips and a raised salary, they were both able to convert their living room into two art studios; one for Isagi’s pottery projects and one for Bachira’s paintings.

Most omegas didn’t mind sharing space with other omegas but as usual, omegas with recessive alpha genes were different. Both Isagi and Bachira _needed_ their own space that was not going to be tainted by any other, even each other.

With their living quarters finally to their liking, the two omegas lived peaceful lives throughout their second and third years of university.

* * *

Some would say Nagi had it all. He was an only child from a well-bred family and he, their only son, had presented as an alpha. He didn’t have to ask for anything and he would still get it. There was simply no one else for his parents to dote on.

But that was just it. Life was just that for Nagi. Boring, endless and pointless. His only source of entertainment were the stimulating games on his phone and consoles and maybe the occasional irritation that came from his soulmate. Sometimes Nagi wondered if his soulmate was another alpha because his soulmate’s wrath was triggered no less than twice a day every day.

Sometimes, when Nagi was really bored, he’d make fun thoughts of ‘Why my soulmate is pissed off today’. That too got a little boring after a while.

Thinking about his soulmate was a little bothersome so Nagi never took initiative to try and figure them out. After all, all the books and myths always said, if you’re destined to meet your soulmate, you shall. Nagi would prefer to leave it at that.

And so, Nagi went about his daily life with whispers of his soulmate’s figurative rant and the tedious task of living a boring life.

Then, things started to get a little exciting in high school during music class. Nagi had never held an instrument his whole life but how hard could it be? If you know what sound your instruments could make, you could play anything you hear. It was common knowledge for Nagi. But that wasn’t the case for most human beings.

Their instructor at the time had randomly assigned them instruments and allowed those who already had experience, to choose their own designated instruments. Nagi picked the closest instrument which was apparently a violin. He pouted since it would probably be bothersome but he might as well get it over with. They’d have to rotate instruments every other week anyway.

The instructor went to each of the newbies to introduce the instrument to them. Nagi was taught how to play the violin but he wasn’t really listening to what the instructor was saying. Instead, he experimented with the instrument himself. The thicker strings needed a firmer hand to produce an acceptable noise. The thinnest string however, needed just a feather’s touch. Nagi carefully tested the necessary weight of the bow as he glided it on the different strings. Once the instructor made sure he could be left alone without breaking the violin or snapping the strings, Nagi was allowed to practice independently.

His left fingers deftly pressed on the strings as his right hand stirred the bow. And once he figured out all the notes the violin could produce, Nagi suddenly recalled a violin piece that his mother enjoyed listening to in the mornings. However, he found himself stumped at the wavy-like sound he always heard throughout the piece. So he looked to his left and saw his classmate doing something to make a similar wavy-like sound.

“How’d you do that?” Nagi asked.

His classmate frowned at him. “Do what?”

“The wavy sound.”

“The vibrato you mean? This?” His classmate demonstrated a ‘vibrato’ and Nagi nodded.

Once he was taught that, he practiced the vibrato for every single note.

“Pretty bold that you’re jumping straight to the vibrato but not bad for your first time I guess,” his classmate suddenly commented.

Nagi hummed in lieu of a coherent answer and concentrated on recreating his mother’s favourite piece.

With the tune already playing inside his head, Nagi played Beethoven : Romance No.2 In F Major Op.50 almost flawlessly from start to finish, silencing the entire classroom. His fingers and posture needed a little more work since he wasn’t used to the violin but for a beginner, he was practically a prodigy.

Their instructor was gaping at Nagi by the end of it and his classmate who had taught him the vibrato, slowly grinned at him with widening eyes.

And that was how Nagi met Mikage Reo.

From then on, despite rotating instruments every week, Nagi got used to the violin the most, much to Reo’s delight. Reo was probably the only person on Earth who was determined to befriend Nagi. Reo’s persistence wormed it’s way into Nagi’s life and in the end, Nagi learned to accept Reo as an actual friend. Their friendship solidified when Reo gifted Nagi his very own violin. Eventually, Nagi even followed Reo in pursuing music together. They even became roommates at their new campus.

Nagi’s perfect pitch made him breeze through performances. He only needed to hear something twice if not once to play it in the exact same tune and beat. Classes were a little boring but Reo’s constant presence made things a bit better. And although Reo was a pure alpha, Nagi’s recessive omega genes made Reo surprisingly more mellow than usual. There was no battle of dominance or posturing between them. They were simply compatible and it made them good friends.

Reo had once asked Nagi about his soulmate and Nagi simply shrugged and said that he knew he had one, just that they hadn’t met yet. Reo nodded and confessed that he was the same as well. And that was the first and last discussion they had over it.

Until one day, in one of the practice rooms they shared, Nagi snapped two of his violin strings at the same time during a recording session.

It was so sudden and such a shock for Reo because he had never heard Nagi make such a pained noise as he watched Nagi suddenly fall to his knees and almost drop his violin.

“NAGI!” Reo rushed to his friend’s side and quickly assessed Nagi’s face. Worst case scenario would be the strings snapping in an unwanted direction and hitting the eyes or something.

“I’m okay. It’s my hand…” Nagi softly explained.

Reo looked down with a horrified face. Nagi’s left hand was clearly burnt.

“Shit…! I’ll get the first aid kit!” Reo quickly got up and left the practice room.

Meanwhile, Nagi stared at his left hand. He had never had a scar or scratch on his body thanks to both his overprotective parents and his soulmate. There was a sprain once or twice when Nagi was a kid. He had assumed his soulmate to be the same age as him so incidents like that would’ve been normal. But this was the first incident that was actually visible.

Nagi suddenly found himself feeling worried for his soulmate. Were they alright? Where were they? Was this an accident? Did someone do it on purpose? Unconsciously, his emotions bled through their connection and for the first time, his soulmate received something from him other than his boredom.

* * *

“Isagi!” Bachira called out from the front, “I’m opening up the shop again for the evening shift! You good with prep?”

Isagi popped in the last of the dough into the oven as he shouted back, “Yeah, I’m good!”

The timers for each oven were set and the oven mitts were taken off. Isagi washed his hands thoroughly and moved on to prep the usual for their coffee station. Monday evenings were the busiest shifts since everyone needed a pick-me-up to rid of their Monday blues. And Isagi had a deadline for one of his projects just around the corner so maybe he was a little distracted.

He didn’t expect to accidentally burn his hand though.

“Shit!” Isagi cursed as his skin began to turn red at an alarming pace. He rushed to one of the sinks.

“Isagi, you alright? What happened?” Bachira rushed in from the shop front where he was wiping the tables.

“Fine fine, just burnt myself a little.”

Bachira took one look at the hand Isagi was running under tap water and immediately went to take the first aid kit.

“Bachira, you don’t have to-“ Isagi wanted to say that he didn’t need any treatment but he was sternly cut off by Bachira.

“It’s your _hand_ , Isagi. We can’t risk it.”

Sometimes Isagi forgot how precious his hands were. Bachira appreciated them way more than he did. In their field of arts, their hands were all they had. Isagi slumped as he stared at his reddish trembling hand. How was he supposed to complete his project?

Isagi sighed and sat down on a stool Bachira had pulled over so that Bachira could treat his hand. The wound was a little tender and Isagi grimaced every time Bachira touched his skin to apply the burn cream.

“I think you’ll be alright in a wee-…”

Isagi blinked his eyes slowly in confusion because Bachira was still talking but Isagi… couldn’t hear him. For some reason, suddenly, everything around Isagi seemed to fade into white noise. He looked down at his hand and realized that the pain seemed so dim compared to the echoing call of… _something_ in his head. It was something Isagi never felt before. It was so foreign and yet it wasn’t. Something was resonating inside him, like an emotion that was not his; a gentle whisper of a lingering question that seemed to ask, “Are you okay?”

For a moment, Isagi couldn’t breathe. He felt a chill run down his spine and a bubbling panic growing inside him. He knew he was beginning to sweat and he could see Bachira’s alarmed face probably asking him what was wrong. After all these years of never thinking about his fate… There was no denying what it was.

It was his _soulmate_.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kunigami, Chigiri and Reo come into the picture~

When Reo came back with the first aid kit, Nagi was staring at his hand in fascination.

“Oh. They’re panicking.”

Reo knelt down in front of Nagi with a frown as he asked, “Who?”

“My soulmate.”

Reo stared at Nagi incredulously and almost sputtered but composed himself and managed to raise his voice just a little bit rather than the shout he originally wanted to let out, “They _should_ be panicking! In fact, _you_ should be panicking too! It’s your _hand_ , Nagi!”

“That’s okay.”

“No it’s not! You can’t perform on stage tomorrow!”

Nagi shrugged as he endured Reo’s tentative treatment of his hand.

Reo sighed as he pinched his forehead. “What are we gonna tell them… Nevermind. It’s your soulmate’s fault anyway. We’ll reschedule tomorrow’s performance. I’ll take your turn and you can have mine-…”

No offense to Reo but the performances they had to perform, its schedule and rotations had always been a little confusing for Nagi. He really didn’t like thinking too much about it. So, he sort of tuned Reo out for a minute. Instead, Nagi looked at his treated hand and realized that his soulmate’s panic had died down.

* * *

A few days passed with Isagi taken off the evening shifts much to his annoyance. He was only allowed to come back on Friday evening. It was a slow shift and by the time Isagi was flipping the café signage, there were just two customers left. Well, not just _any_ customers. Isagi brought out the three leftover rolls he had baked earlier and joined Kunigami and Chigiri at their regular table. Bachira was just two steps behind him with some drinks for himself and Isagi.

“So,” Chigiri curtly started with a strict look directed at Isagi.

Isagi sighed. “It was an _accident_.”

Kunigami also had that disapproving look when he started to say, “It was-“

Isagi cut him off, “-my hand, _yes_ I know. I got the talk from Bachira already.”

“Wasn’t much of a talk if you ask me,” Bachira sneered as he took a sip of his latte. “He spaced out the whole time I was yapping.”

“Was the burn that serious?” Kunigami asked worriedly.

“No it wasn’t that,” Isagi clarified, “I felt-… I felt my soulmate that day.”

There was a collective sound of glasses clanging as Chigiri practically dropped his mug onto the table and Kunigami’s shock nearly knocked Isagi’s glass off the small table.

“…we thought…” Chigiri trailed off.

“That I didn’t have a soulmate?” Isagi shrugged. “Yeah, me too.”

“Wait, why is everyone so down? This is a good thing, right?” Bachira asked while looking at Chigiri and then to Kunigami with a confused look. The entire point of Bachira calling an emergency meeting with them was so that they could cheer Isagi up. He’d been moping all week. And he was still moping because he was chained to the cash register.

Kunigami recovered first from his shock. “Yeah, it’s great! You have a soulmate. That’s a big deal.”

Chigiri however, was already crossing his arms and the disapproving look was back.

Isagi stared right back at him. “What now?”

“You burned your hand. Which means you burned your soulmate’s hand.”

“That’s pretty much what we just discussed. What’s your point?”

Chigiri leaned forward and gave Isagi a thorough dressing-down, “My _point_ is that you didn’t just endanger yourself and your career, you could’ve endangered _theirs._ What if your soulmate was a model, huh? What if they need their hands _just as much_ as you do?”

That… was something Isagi had not thought about. And Chigiri would know, Kunigami was right beside him. Chigiri’s damaged knee nearly cost both of them a chance of having an athletic career. And Chigiri would never let himself forget about it. Every day, every time he looks at the scar on his knee, Chigiri is reminded of the fact that Kunigami has one too.

Isagi leaned on the table and buried his face in his arms. “…shit.”

Chigiri finally backed down when both Kunigami and Bachira gave him mirroring expressions that said, ‘Really?’

With a sigh, Chigiri smiled and admitted, “We didn’t come all this way to berate you. This should be a celebration.”

Isagi forced a smile and joined in Bachira’s toast of “To Isagi and his soulmate!”

After catching up for about an hour, Bachira began to clean up with Kunigami’s help as Isagi and Chigiri chatted about Isagi’s current project.

As Bachira was doing the dishes, Kunigami asked, “You guys holding up okay?”

Bachira smiled at Kunigami. “Are you asking us as humans or as art majors?”

Kunigami scoffed. That was answer enough. Although Isagi and Bachira shared the same biological makeup, they were opposites based on how they handled their stressful assignments. Bachira would sleep too much before pushing out great pieces while being locked in his half of the art studio for about a day or two. Isagi however, didn’t sleep at all and he’d work in his half of their art studio until his project was complete. So, with Bachira’s exhibition coming up and Isagi’s deadline approaching, they were both obviously, _not_ okay. Bachira still did not have a centerpiece and Isagi’s hand was burnt which meant that all pottery projects were put on hold. An idle Isagi was a stressed Isagi.

Kunigami and Chigiri were always invited to the café under the pretence of Bachira’s ‘urgent meeting’ but it was usually a cry for moral support more than anything.

As Bachira moved to begin drying the mugs and plates, he felt Kunigami’s hand pat his head. The heavy weight of it and Kunigami’s calming scent made Bachira take a deep breath. When the weight on his head was lifted, Bachira fixed his bangs and smiled up at Kunigami.

Meanwhile, Chigiri was inspecting Isagi’s burnt hand. “I’d definitely recommend you stay away from the wheel until you’re comfortable touching anything without flinching.”

Through the small kitchen window, Chigiri saw Kunigami patting Bachira’s head. His focus shifted back to Isagi when Isagi asked, “Did you… apologize? After the incident?”

Chigiri suddenly had flashes of that day. Just the feel of that excruciating pain in his leg and doing nothing but apologizing to his soulmate as he gritted his teeth, lying prone on the ground. Chigiri had held back his tears but then the sudden _overwhelming_ _wave_ of gentle emotions of comfort from his soulmate had eventually pushed Chigiri off the edge. They were both in so much pain but all his soulmate could think about was to send assurance to Chigiri.

“That’s up to you. It could make you feel better,” Chigiri shrugged. Every soulmate pair had their own journey. And he wanted Isagi to experience it for himself. “You’ll figure it out. And hey, while you’re healing, might as well think about what you’re gonna do for your project.”

“Yeah I’ll ask for an extension first,” Isagi said with a soft laugh.

They clasped each other’s hands in sync and gripped the other tightly. Chigiri believed Isagi would pull through. Both Bachira and Isagi always did.

Once Bachira came back with Kunigami, the two omegas walked the alpha-beta pairs out of the café and waved them goodbye. Finally, they retreated back to their apartment. The lingering effect of having their friends scentmarking them made both Isagi and Bachira choose to unfold the sofa bed. Bachira positioned Isagi so that Isagi’s injured hand wouldn’t hit anything or be squished. They then snuggled the other wordlessly and basked in their mixed scents. It had been awhile since their last puppy pile. Having extra scents definitely helped them imagine it wasn’t just the two of them.

Bachira was sound asleep in under a minute but Isagi was still thinking about what Chigiri had said. His soulmate must be feeling the same dull throbbing of their shared burn injury. Isagi had no idea how their connection worked but he still tried sending his heartfelt apology.

Isagi fell asleep still attempting to apologize.

* * *

Reo nearly shouted when he was suddenly woken up in the middle of the night and Nagi was there just staring at his face.

“Nagi, what-“

“What do you do when someone says sorry to you?”

Reo blinked and then groaned, “I don’t know, you either forgive them or you don’t.”

Nagi sat down on Reo’s bed and asked, “Do I tell them that?”

Reo sat up lazily with a stretch. “What’s this about?”

Nagi lifted up his loosely wrapped hand. “They did it for like ten minutes straight.”

Alarmed, Reo nearly shouted in panic, “Did _what_?”

“Dunno but it felt like an apology.”

Reo sighed, “You mean your soulmate has been apologizing for ten minutes. Damn it, be clear Nagi, I thought they burned their hand again for ten minutes straight.”

“Do I say anything back?”

With a yawn, Reo shrugged. “That’s up to you.”

Reo watched Nagi look down at his arm. Honestly, it wasn’t Reo’s place to say what Nagi should or shouldn’t do when it came to his soulmate.

“Go back to sleep.” Reo patted Nagi’s back. “I got a meeting tomorrow.”

Nagi nodded and got off Reo’s bed.

* * *

Meetings at Mikage Corporation with his father never failed to put Reo in a bad mood. At least he didn’t have any classes on Saturday. Still, the drive back to campus with his father’s words ringing in his head was bound to make him scowl the whole day. And he did not need that energy when he planned on hanging out with Nagi and Zantetsu that afternoon.

“Reo?”

Reo turned around from where he was walking to his father’s car and was pleasantly surprised to see Chigiri and Kunigami. It had been months since he last saw them. Chigiri had no doubt been busy with his clothes line after some rich woman took a shine on Chigiri’s designs and decided to sponsor his own brand. Kunigami probably had his own side projects as well.

“You don’t look so good,” Kunigami commented.

No shit, Reo felt like he had been bulldozed. Nothing was worse than the typical ‘When you finally quit music, you can take over this company’ hour-long talk from his father.

“Had breakfast yet?” Chigiri asked.

Reo frowned. “No?”

“Wanna grab some with us?”

Ah. So they were offering him an out. Well. Reo looked back to his driver and waved his hand dismissively. Who was he to turn down an offer like that?

“How have you been?” Reo asked the two as they led the way to their car.

“Better than you,” Chigiri laughed.

Reo rolled his eyes good-naturedly. He had met them both on an official business through his mother when she too fell for Chigiri’s unique designs. They hit it off when Reo discovered they were the same age.

Reo went with them to somewhere out of town, a small café that both of them recommended. It was a bit of a drive out from Reo’s campus but he trusted their palette. Chigiri was a ruthless coffee hunter and Kunigami wouldn’t eat something that didn’t taste good.

The café could only be described as ‘homey’ - the calm ambience, the smell of freshly brewed coffee with a hint of baked pastries and the soft chatters of customers. Kunigami and Chigiri made a beeline to the cashier with overly friendly postures. Reo figured out why when he tagged along and overheard their conversation.

“Still chained to the cash register, Isagi?” Chigiri teased.

‘Isagi’ looked pissed and it surprised Reo since he was certain the cashier was an omega. Chigiri may be a beta but no omega was so openly disrespectful in general.

The barista working nearby made a short appearance as he was making his way to the back kitchen. “He’s been sulking all morning~!” the barista said in a sing-song voice.

“I have _not_ ,” Isagi angrily stressed at the barista before he turned back to Kunigami and Chigiri with an annoyed look. “Are you here to order or get on my nerves?”

Kunigami stepped aside and said, “Actually we brought you a new customer.”

Reo watched the cashier’s face do a 180 as Isagi smiled and welcomed him to the café.

Chigiri added, “Reo likes beef.”

“Steak, actually, but yeah,” Reo shrugged.

The cashier turned around and shouted, “Bachira, do we have the provolone beef?”

“Yup, it’s coming up!” the barista’s voice floated in from the kitchen.

Isagi turned back to them and asked, “Any drinks to go?”

“We’ll have the usual,” Kunigami nodded.

“How ‘bout you?” Isagi asked Reo.

Reo looked at the menu but he wasn’t really in the mood to think. God, Nagi really rubbed off him. “I’ll have whatever you recommend.”

Isagi suddenly smiled deviously. “You got it.”

Reo was surprised when the cashier didn’t even key in anything into the cash register. Instead, he went off to the barista station.

“Bachira!” Chigiri called out, “Isagi’s making drinks!”

“I’m _fine_!” Isagi shouted back while the barista reappeared with two trays of freshly baked pastries.

The barista berated, “Uh uh uh! Back to the cash register, Isagil!”

Isagi pursed his lips and came back to the cash register with heavy steps. He glared at Chigiri and grumbled, “I hate all of you.”

Kunigami teased the omega cashier with, “Take better care of your hand if you don’t like being a cashier all day.”

Isagi pointed a finger at Kunigami and said, “Shut it before I kick you out.”

And both Chigiri and Kunigami just laughed. Meanwhile, Reo was losing his damn mind. Now he _knew_ something was up with the omega. An omega disrespecting an alpha like that was not unheard of but it was definitely rare. And for both Kunigami and Chigiri to find it amusing, meant that they were used to this type of banter with the omega.

While Reo’s head was scrambling, the barista and the cashier had prepared and packed their drinks and pastries. Isagi handed them two paper bags and Bachira handed them their drinks. Up close, Reo could tell that the barista was an omega too. And there were no other workers…? What kind of management was this? Reo took the brown paper bags while Chigiri and Kunigami took the drinks.

Then, Reo saw the two omegas' fond smiles directed at Kunigami and Chigiri and instantly, he understood. They weren’t just friends. This was a family.

The surprise didn’t even end there. By the time they got into the car, Reo suddenly realized that they didn’t even pay for anything.

“We didn’t pay anything.”

“You’re a first time customer. Your first order’s on the house. Café owner policy,” Kunigami explained.

“And your drinks?”

Chigiri snickered, “I’m an investor.”

“Wow,” Reo deadpanned. He took out one of the piping hot pastries and bit into the crispy exterior. The flakiness of the pastry and the warm filling of that beef provolone was just-… Either Reo was so hungry that everything tasted good or the beef provolone pastry pockets were just _that delicious_. Reo reiterated passionately as he was chewing, “ _Wow_.”

“Good right?” Kunigami smiled.

Reo hummed as he continued chewing, swallowing and then hungrily taking another bite of his pastry. Later when he tasted his drink which Chigiri revealed to be the barista’s take on a caramel macchiato, Reo felt like he was having one of the best breakfast ever. And he had had _a lot_ of expensive gourmet breakfast. The dreadful meeting that morning was forgotten instantly. Impulsively following Chigiri and Kunigami was definitely a decision Reo didn’t regret.

* * *

After being dropped off at the mall where Reo had planned to meet up with Nagi and Zantetsu, Reo immediately looked up the café and bookmarked the page. He was _definitely_ coming back. Heck, he’ll probably get one of everything next time.

Zantetsu and Nagi were already waiting for him at the mall’s center square. Before Reo even reached them, he saw Nagi’s head snap up from where he was previously looking down at his phone.

“Hey guys,” Reo greeted them.

Zantetsu reciprocated the greeting but Nagi was just staring at Reo. It was a little unnerving.

Nagi simply commented, “You smell weird, Reo.”

“I had breakfast with some friends,” Reo smelled himself and frowned at Zantetsu. “Do I smell weird?”

Zantetsu took a whiff and adjusted his glasses. “He smells fine, Nagi.”

Nagi though, continued to stare at Reo. Even Zantetsu was beginning to notice that something wasn’t quite right with Nagi. Reo awkwardly broke the tension by leading them in the direction of the new shoe shop he wanted to visit.

While Reo conversed with Zantetsu about shoes, Nagi's eyes were still fixated on Reo. Usually, Nagi would just tail after them while playing games on his phone. Having Nagi stare at Reo like that was starting to get really creepy.

Reo finally put his foot down and faced Nagi. “Nagi, I don’t know what your deal is but-“

Nagi suddenly grabbed Reo’s hand and sniffed it. It was so out of place and weird that Reo just stood still and let it happen.

Once again, Nagi repeated with Reo’s hand still being sniffed tentatively, “You smell weird.”

It was slow to come together in his head but Reo finally realized that Nagi wasn’t talking about the beef pastry or Kunigami and Chigiri. The hand Nagi was so fixated on was the hand Reo had used to take the brown paper bags from the cashier at the café. His fingers had brushed with Isagi’s; the cashier with the loosely bandaged hand. Because of a burn injury that Kunigami and Chigiri kept teasing about. The _same_ burn injury that Nagi had on the _same_ hand.

There was only one coherent thought in Reo’s head at that point as he gazed at Nagi who was still trying to identify the weird scent on Reo’s hand.

_‘Oh.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reo is alpha-alpha  
> Kunigami is alpha-beta  
> Chigiri is beta-alpha  
> Zantetsu is alpha-beta
> 
> Kunigami and Chigiri actually met Bachira and Isagi when the omegas first started out at the cafe. They became really great friends but Chigiri's job makes him travel a lot so he doesn't always visit but when Bachira calls in an 'emergency meeting', Chigiri and Kunigami would come in a heartbeat and stay in town for a few days. 
> 
> Kunigami is a personal trainer and a professional athlete. When he's not busy, he's usually seen with Chigiri. Despite being the one who pursued an athletic career, Kunigami still can't keep up with Chigiri when they're both on the track lmao They met each other on a train about 4 years ago. For now, they are platonically involved but only time will tell if they decide to take it a step forward.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nagi's conversational skill is abysmal at best but at least one person in this world finds it somewhat adorable (and insufferable at the same time).

Chigiri was surprised when he saw Reo’s caller ID on the screen of his ringing phone. Maybe he left something in the car?

“Hello?”

**_“We got a problem. Am I on speaker?”_ **

Chigiri brought his handset away from his ear and pressed the loudspeaker button. “Now you are.”

**_“I think a friend of mine is your friend’s soulmate. The cashier at the café.”_ **

Kunigami and Chigiri must have been silent for too long because Reo suddenly spoke again.

**_“Do you know what day he got his burn? Was it on Monday? Sometime around 3 or 4pm?”_ **

Come to think of it, that was the day that Bachira texted them. But Chigiri had a prior engagement that he could not postpone so he and Kunigami had arrived in town on Thursday evening instead. And Bachira had said that Isagi burned his hand right before opening. The evening shift started at 3:30pm.

Kunigami answered, “Yeah it was.”

 ** _“Shit,”_** Reo cursed under his breath.

“Are you certain?” Chigiri asked Reo skeptically.

**_“Yes I am. How did you guys know you were soulmates?”_ **

Chigiri and Kunigami exchanged a knowing look and a smile.

“We were riding the same train. He was in the first coach and I was in the last,” Chigiri reminisced.

Kunigami continued, “We met each other halfway though.”

**_“Because of your scent right?”_ **

Chigiri chuckled, “Something definitely smelled fishy in that train. I didn’t know what it was until I locked eyes with him.”

**_“Yeah that’s great. And I just had my best friend sniff the heck out of my hand for 30 minutes, telling me that I smell weird.”_ **

“Wait, your hand-“ Kunigami cut himself off with a surprised look, “Oh.”

 ** _“Yeah._** Oh ** _.”_**

“Wait,” Chigiri frowned, “What do you mean ‘Oh’?”

Kunigami explained, “He took the paper bag from Isagi remember? With his _hand_?”

Then it was Chigiri’s turn to say softly with heavy realization, “ _Oh_.”

But after pondering for a few seconds, Chigiri gravely pointed out, “We can’t intervene though. It has to be all them.”

The first meeting of soulmates was sacred. It shouldn’t be staged or forced.

 ** _“I know that,”_** Reo sighed, **_“I just- Thought you guys should know.”_**

“Thanks for the heads-up Reo,” Kunigami replied gratefully.

“Hold up. You haven’t even told us who your friend is!” Chigiri cried indignantly.

**_“Seriously, princess? I’m not doing it over the phone. Free a slot for dinner or something.”_ **

Chigiri exited the call without ending it and went to his schedule application. He promptly checked it and immediately said, “Done. Tonight at 7.”

**_“You don’t waste any time do you?”_ **

Kunigami looked at Chigiri when he felt his soulmate’s sudden spike of emotions. Even as a beta, Chigiri was very protective of Isagi and Bachira for some reason. Maybe it was amplified because Kunigami felt the same for the odd pair of omegas. For Isagi to suddenly have a soulmate and for that soulmate to somehow be a friend of a friend, it was just suspicious. How did Isagi assume he didn’t have a soulmate all those years?

“Isagi means a lot to us,” Kunigami said in Chigiri’s stead, “If you’ve got any beans to spill about his soulmate, we’d want to know.”

Reo paused minutely and said with just as much conviction, **_“Nagi means a lot to me too. So I guess that means I’ll see you guys tonight.”_**

“Yeah. See you tonight,” Chigiri bid before he ended the call. He immediately opened his browser and asked Kunigami as he started typing, “Nagi right? Do you think Nagi goes to the same university as Reo?”

Kunigami just smiled at Chigiri’s insistence on knowing everything about Isagi’s soulmate even though they had just made plans with Reo for the interrogation.

* * *

Nagi couldn’t forget that scent from Reo’s hand. It was gone now of course but he just could not stop thinking about it. It was beginning to get bothersome. He was left alone that evening after they came back from the mall because Reo had apparently made plans that did not include Nagi.

Not that Nagi was peeved about that because he was still hell-bent on that weird scent.

After Reo left the dorms around 6pm, Nagi decided to get some fresh air. He put on his sweater and a scarf and simply started walking around campus.

And he kept on walking till he was outside of the campus.

And then he walked.

On and on and on.

He passed streets he had never been on, saw shops he had never known existed and walked like a man possessed. Nagi couldn’t really control his feet. It was like he was on autopilot. He didn’t know where he was going but... his feet knew though. Nagi walked till the rays of the Sun were long gone from the sky. Logically, he had walked for about three hours at least. And he still wasn’t near his destinatio-

That smell was back. Nagi’s back straightened. His eyes widened as he breathed in. His senses were suddenly buzzing. That scent. The one that was on Reo’s hand.

Nagi’s pace increased with each step as he followed where that scent was coming from. He was so close.

Just one block away.

Just around the corner.

Just behind that door.

Nagi abruptly pulled a door open and the chime of a small bell resounded above him.

* * *

Isagi flinched at the sound of someone roughly opening their café door. Isagi was a firm believer of ‘No matter how desperate you are for a coffee fix, at least have the decency to try and not destroy the premise’. He was already scowling at the new customer.

First thing Isagi noticed was the customer’s height and distinct hair. Then, their eyes met and-

What they learned in class as children and teenagers about soul bonds could never compare to an actual soul bond between two soulmates being established for the first time.

If Isagi had to figuratively explain it, it was like all his life, he was a clock that only ticked once followed by a soundless beat.

Tick.

…

Tick.

…

Tick.

But the moment he met the customer’s eyes; a vibrant teal, suddenly Isagi felt a shift inside him.

_Tock._

The clock was ticking perfectly now. And all Isagi could think of was… ' _There you are_.'

Who knew how long they had been staring at one another. Isagi’s soulmate only started moving when a beta customer approached the exit he was blocking. When Isagi's soulmate reached the counter, both of them stared quietly at one another. They didn’t teach this part in class so Isagi didn’t know what to say. His soulmate seemed to be under the same predicament.

The eye contact between them finally broke when Isagi’s soulmate started to look up to browse the menu. He then asked, “What’s good here?”

Isagi recovered from the completion of their soul bond by clearing his throat and suggesting, “Caramel macchiato is a local favourite.”

“I’ll take that one then.”

Isagi took a cup and uncapped his marker. As he was about to write the order on it, he caught sight of his loosely wrapped hand. His attention then shifted to his soulmate’s hand which had the same wound dressings.

Isagi cleared his throat once more and softly said, “Sorry ‘bout that. The burn accident.”

His soulmate tilted his head in a curious-like manner. “Was it hot water?”

“Hot coffee actually.”

“I don’t like coffee.”

Isagi suddenly frowned as he stopped writing his soulmate’s order. “Then why the _heck_ did you order a macchiato?!”

“You said it was nice.”

Isagi was this close to throwing hands with his alpha soulmate as he shouted animatedly, “ _For a coffee lover_!”

His soulmate looked unphased by Isagi’s outburst as he randomly spouted, “You smell weird.”

Isagi slumped and deadpanned with a flat look, “You don’t exactly smell like a field of daisies either.”

“Daisies don’t smell nice.”

The plastic cup Isagi was holding literally crumpled under the weight of Isagi’s frustration that was channeled through his hand.

“Isagi? You okay?” Bachira suddenly popped up from the kitchen. He had gone for a short dinner break just before Isagi’s soulmate walked through the door. Bachira must’ve noticed the matching bandaged hands because the barista was suddenly _skipping_ to the coffee station with a wide grin on his face. Isagi could already imagine the gossip Bachira was going to spill to Kunigami and Chigiri.

“I’m fine,” Isagi answered his coworker as he threw away the ruined cup.

When Isagi returned to the counter, his soulmate commented, “Your name’s Isagi.”

“Great deduction there, genius.”

“I’m Nagi. Nagi Seishiro.”

Isagi contemplated his soulmate for a few seconds before he returned the courtesy. “Isagi Yoichi.”

“What time do you finish work?”

For the second time in the span of less than five minutes, Isagi slumped his shoulders and wearily asked his soulmate, “ _Really_?”

Nagi continued unperturbed, “Can I walk you home?”

“I live upstairs.”

“Can I walk you upstairs?”

Isagi mouth opened and closed a few times without an actual answer because he was so shocked by his soulmate’s straightforwardness. Finally, he huffed out a helpless laugh, “You’re insufferable. There’s still an hour before closing time and I have a roommate-“

Bachira butted in with, “-who doesn’t mind. At all! _Please_ walk him upstairs!”

Isagi glared at Bachira but then he suddenly felt the slight elation from Nagi. He turned back to look at Nagi’s face but it remained impassive. Perhaps their established connection made it easier to gauge each other’s emotions. Actually, Isagi was pretty sure the foreign joy he was feeling came from Nagi.

In fact, the longer Isagi stared at Nagi’s face, the more he realized how easy it was to read those eyes. Was his soulmate actually anticipating his agreement? Of walking him upstairs? Would something that small really make his soulmate happy?

Again, Isagi found himself laughing softly but fondly. “Fine, you can walk me upstairs.”

At those words, Isagi was very certain that the giddy emotion was _definitely_ from Nagi. He then began to write a different order on the new cup in his hand. A creme frappe made with almond milk and three pumps of caramel syrup, topped off with a generous drizzle of caramel over whipped cream. He had a feeling his soulmate had a sweet tooth.

Later, after handing the drink Bachira had made to his soulmate, Isagi watched Nagi take it to an empty table. Meanwhile, Bachira was just smiling smugly at Isagi.

“Not. A single. Word,” Isagi said without looking at his coworker.

Bachira giggled and mimed zipping his lips playfully.

Isagi received more spikes of happiness when Nagi tasted his drink. Definitely had a sweet tooth.

* * *

Once the hour was up, Isagi offered to close the shop. Bachira wiggled his eyebrows suggestively and didn’t even fight Isagi on it. After cleaning up the café, Bachira simply took off his apron, washed his hands, grabbed his sweater and went upstairs ahead of them.

Isagi rolled his eyes at his friend’s antics but appreciated how easily Bachira gave in.

Nagi was already waiting for Isagi at the door. It was ridiculous really. Nagi was just walking him upstairs but Isagi found himself affected by Nagi’s infectious emotions. Or maybe Isagi himself had been excited at the prospect of being walked home as well, no matter how short the distance.

They didn’t speak throughout the walk but the silence between them was comfortable. Isagi led the way upstairs with Nagi walking half a step behind him so that the alpha remained at Isagi’s side.

At the door of his apartment, Isagi felt the onslaught of different emotions, one of anticipation and… curiosity?

Isagi looked up beside him and saw Nagi suddenly leaning closer towards him. Nagi paused before he got too close but he seemed to ask permission with his eyes. Isagi wasn’t certain what Nagi was trying to accomplish but it was definitely not a regular alpha posturing gesture. It was lacking all the hormones and the usual alpha aggressiveness.

Nagi must have taken Isagi’s silence and compliance as tacit approval because next thing Isagi knew, Nagi leaned closer until finally, their foreheads touched. Then, ever so gently, Nagi nudged his head forward; letting their hair tangle and allowing their scents to mix.

Nagi was scentmarking him.

And in the most adorable way while still being somewhat intimate. Isagi was dealing with a cat. A big cat who was head bunting him gently. He hated how cute the idea was. Instinctively, Isagi returned the gesture.

When they both pulled back, their dilated eyes locked together and satisfaction thrummed between their soul bond.

Isagi bid Nagi goodnight and went inside the apartment. Just as he closed the door, Isagi leaned heavily onto it and slowly slid down until he was sitting down, hugging his knees and hiding his face in his arms. He could not believe he just did that. He could still feel Nagi's warm forehead against his own. Isagi was so screwed.

Bachira, who had heard Isagi come in, walked up to his friend and then crouched down while sneering with his palms cupping his own cheeks. Isagi’s ears were red to the very tips. It was, arguably, the first time Bachira had seen Isagi so flustered.

“So. That’s him, huh?” Bachira teased.

Softly, Bachira heard his best friend’s muffled reply, “…shut up…”

Bachira laughed and let Isagi drown in his self-imposed misery for about 2 minutes before he was pulling Isagi up and towing him to the bathroom. Honestly, Bachira couldn’t wait to tell Kunigami and Chigiri. First thing’s first though, a nice hot bath.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AND SO THEY'VE MET AAAAAAAAAAAA  
> GET READY FOR ALL THE NAGISAGI / ISANAGI FLOOF
> 
> (Also, no, it isn't romantic yet. This is more like you know, when your friend plays with your fingers or with your hair or just chilling with you on the couch, sharing body heat etc. Isagi's never scentmarked a stranger that doesn't really feel like a stranger, that's why he's flustered)


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Isagi and Nagi got busy after their first meeting.

Reo was not Nagi’s babysitter. But a text or a note would’ve been nice. Reo had returned to their empty shared dorm room with hardly any info on where Nagi had gone. Some people said they saw him walking out of the campus but that was hours ago. Reo had tried calling Nagi but then he heard the faint vibrations coming from Nagi’s bed. He was shocked that Nagi didn’t have his phone with him.

Nagi _always_ had his phone with him.

This was Nagi’s first disappearing stunt. And Reo refused to panic.

Was there a possibility that Nagi had went out to seek Isagi? No… The café was too far from their campus for Nagi to walk all the way there.

In the end, Reo decided to stay up and wait for Nagi. He lasted only about an hour. He had to endure Chigiri’s interrogation after all. Sometimes Reo wondered if Chigiri was the alpha of the pair and not Kunigami. Then again, Kunigami was the one who made sure Chigiri didn’t go overboard with the questions.

Reo fell asleep thinking about how Isagi had assumed he didn’t have a soulmate because Nagi never interacted with him through their bond. It wasn’t too much of a surprise for Reo because Nagi had never been big on emotions. Even Reo had never seen Nagi smile.

Reo woke up abruptly to the sound of the door being closed.

“…Nagi…?” Reo asked groggily.

“Yeah.”

“Where have you been?” Reo asked as he tried to rub the sleep from his eyes. He couldn’t see very clearly in the dark but Nagi’s posture looked exhausted and yet, his eyes were aware and focused. Reo could’ve sworn Nagi’s eyes were glowing a little.

“I went for a walk,” Nagi answered simply. He then put something on his shelf before picking up his violin case. “I’m going to the practice rooms.”

That sounded logical to Reo’s sleep-addled brain so he just made a dismissive gesture at Nagi before he rolled over and went back to sleep.

* * *

Nagi knew his feet were blistered at some parts. He had walked too far for too long. And he was tired. But he wasn’t sleepy. Far from it. He felt like he could remain awake for days. His brain was on overdrive. And his fingers itched to play something.

A very particular something.

He and Reo had booked a particular practice room for the whole semester and were given the keys to it. They could camp in there for all anyone cared. Once inside, Nagi clumsily closed the door behind him in his rush to set his case down on the nearby table. He unclasped the latches, opened the case and took out his instrument.

He payed no heed to his burnt hand. It was mostly healed anyway. It didn’t hurt when he applied pressure on the strings with his fingers.

Music had never been particularly interesting to Nagi but… for some reason, just this once, he let his curiosity overtake the strings of his violin.

He wasn’t sure what he was playing but he knew that the tune came from within inside him. Like a music sheet that had been locked away but Nagi had suddenly found the key. He instinctively knew which notes to play and how the music was supposed to sound like. Nagi simply intended to perfect it in real life.

* * *

Isagi couldn’t sleep. He had been rolling around on his bed for about two hours. Sunday was a day off so it wasn’t like he was in trouble for staying up late. He had no classes and the café was closed. Isagi rolled onto his back and brought his hands up to have a look at them.

His whole body was buzzing with energy. He wanted something to do.

Chigiri had said that he should stay off the wheel until he was comfortable touching anything without flinching. He experimentally rubbed his hands together to test his touch tolerance. It was pretty good and it didn’t hurt at all. That meant his hand was considered healed. And that meant…

Isagi got off his bed and slowly opened his door as to not accidentally wake Bachira up next door. He quietly made his way to the pottery studio and closed the door behind him.

He never knew how much he missed crafting until he sat on his stool right in front of his pottery wheel.

Isagi smiled. Time to prep his clay for the first time in a week. He was in for a long night. But that was okay. His fingers were itching to just _make_ something. It felt like he could craft for hours.

* * *

Reo felt like he didn’t get any sleep at all. He remembered hearing Nagi telling him late last night that he was going to the practice rooms. And Reo had just? Let him? Reo must’ve have fallen asleep again because the room was suddenly bright and Reo was suddenly sitting up on his bed because _did Nagi say he was going to the practice rooms_?

After doing his morning routine in a haste, Reo left the dorms to find Nagi. If his memory served him right and Nagi really _did_ went to their practice room, the idiot probably fell asleep in there too. Reo yawned as he walked. It was Sunday for god’s sake. They were both supposed to be sleeping in.

Reo’s thoughts were distracted when he heard the faint sound of melodious music. It was definitely a violinist. But he had never heard the tune before. Reo paused his steps as he found himself strangely drawn towards the sound. There was a unique feel to the melody. An original composition perhaps?

The music was flowing out from one of the practice rooms because the door was ajar. Reo had to do a double take because that was definitely the door to his and Nagi’s practice room.

“No way…” Reo said softly.

He crept closer and pushed the door open gently.

Standing in the middle of the practice room was Nagi. And he was playing his violin with his eyes closed, moving more animatedly than he usually did during his formal performances. Nagi was the one playing that ethereal piece.

Reo stood starstruck at the door of their practice room. It sounded even better when he had a front row seat. Nagi probably didn’t even realize Reo’s presence until he reached the end of the composition. 

When Nagi’s eyes met Reo’s, Reo instantly knew that Nagi hadn’t slept at all. He looked even worse than last night.

Reo, however, was more curious about the music than his friend’s reason for reducing himself into a haggard state, “Who’s the composer? I don’t recognize it at all.”

Nagi put down his violin and confessed, “I wrote it.”

That… was the last answer Reo expected. In fact, he was so surprised, he was just staring at Nagi. Because Nagi had never composed anything before. Nagi had always been the prodigy violinist who played compositions with perfect technicality and execution. That was it. It wasn’t like Nagi wasn’t capable of composing his own music, he just simply preferred not to do something so bothersome like that.

Which was why Reo had asked him with a confused expression, “Why?”

Nagi simply shrugged with one shoulder and said, “It was something inside me that wanted to be let out.”

When Nagi looked at Reo once more, Reo saw something there that wasn’t there before. Nagi looked like he had finally joined the world of the living. Unlike the usual impassive and dull look in his eyes, Nagi’s eyes seemed strangely more expressive. It was such a dramatic change that it would’ve been impossible for Reo to not realize.

“Have you slept at all?”

Nagi shook his head.

Reo sighed. He didn’t know what came over his friend but Nagi needed to rest. He told Nagi to pack up and head back to the dorms. It was a Sunday after all. Reo could use the extra sleep himself.

* * *

Bachira woke up feeling refreshed and happy. It was late in the afternoon and he had slept so well. Isagi must have chosen to sleep in too because Bachira couldn’t recall any of Isagi’s attempts to wake him up.

He perked up on his bed. That meant Bachira would have the opportunity to wake Isagi instead! He smirked and quietly tiptoed out of his room. Isagi wasn’t exactly a light sleeper but Bachira wasn’t taking any chances.

Before he could reach Isagi’s room though, he heard someone snoring lightly in their living room. His interest piqued, Bachira walked to the sofa and peeked over the upholster.

It was Isagi.

Bachira took note of Isagi’s fetal position and the exhaustion clearly written on Isagi’s face. Experimentally, Bachira reached over and rubbed Isagi’s back. It was tense as heck. Isagi groaned lightly and rolled to lie on his stomach. Had Isagi been working the wheel? Bachira wasn’t aware that Isagi’s hand had healed that much. And Isagi didn’t say anything about doing any crafts last night either.

Bachira turned around to get the massage oil from Isagi’s room. It was better to deal with the aches as soon as possible. Isagi and him had a whole system designed for them to help the other out when they overworked themselves. If Isagi was as worn out as he usually was after completing a project, he wouldn’t wake up even with Bachira sitting on his lower back and massaging the knots out of his back. 

With the bottle of oil in his hand, Bachira was about to head to the sofa but he suddenly caught sight of the door to the pottery studio.

Curiosity won out so Bachira went to check out Isagi’s latest creation. He sneakily opened the door and- Bachira knew Isagi was good at pottery but Isagi had never made a creation quite like the one Bachira was gaping at. It was a large piece, much like the centerpiece people would see when they entered the lobby of some big company or other wealthy establishments.

The shape of Isagi’s creation was oddly unique – it was a wavy-like design that spanned out from the base upwards and outwards. But each wavy curve had its own size and flare. The textures in each curve was absolutely beautiful. Bachira lightly ran his fingers to feel the bumps and creases. It was like someone requested for the violent night seas to be turned into a bowl. It would look beautiful with the right flower arrangement placed inside.

Bachira was still staring at it. He honestly could not believe something like that was in their apartment and that Isagi had made it.

Not wanting to stain the studio with his scent any longer, Bachira left quickly but not without taking a shot of Isagi’s masterpiece. He closed the door and returned to his sleeping roommate.

First, Bachira adjusted Isagi so that he could climb on top of his friend and sit comfortably on Isagi’s lower back. Then, Bachira lifted Isagi’s shirt as best as he could and uncapped the oil bottle. Once his hands were oiled up, Bachira started working on Isagi’s back from the bottom up. He made circular motions with his fingers and palm, alternating between the two until he felt the tension slowly ebb away under his ministrations.

Isagi occasionally made soft noises that weren’t really pained but not entirely pleasant either. Bachira smiled and whispered, “Just a bit more.”

When he was satisfied that Isagi’s back was finally warm and soft again, Bachira got off his friend, adjusted Isagi’s shirt and tucked him in as best as he could on the sofa. Both omegas had a habit of sleeping on the sofa after working nonstop in their studios. It was the nearest and frankly, they wouldn’t have made it to their bedrooms.

With his work done, Bachira sent the picture of Isagi’s latest craft to Kunigami and Chigiri in their group chat.

The replies were instantaneous. They praised its design and Chigiri even requested Isagi to offer it up for auction. It was clearly art worth paying for. When Kunigami asked what inspired it, Bachira cheekily replied that Isagi had started crafting again after he met his soulmate at the café late last night.

Suddenly Bachira was fumbling to answer Chigiri’s video call. He immediately regretted answering when the first thing that popped up were Chigiri and Kunigami’s faces practically shouting, **_“HE MET NAGI?!”_**

“Shhhh!!” Bachira shushed them. He looked over to Isagi and was glad his friend was still out cold. Bachira put his forefinger at his lips and gave a pointed look to the two at the other end of the call.

They both nodded and waited for Bachira to remove himself from being in the same room as Isagi. Just to be safe, Bachira took the café keys and went downstairs. The moment he closed the café doors and locked them behind him, he glared halfheartedly at his friends.

“Now, tell me how on Earth you two knew about Nagi when I haven’t even said anything yet.”

So for the next ten minutes, Chigiri and Kunigami explained how a friend of theirs was a friend of Isagi’s soulmate and how he was the one to realize that Isagi and Nagi were destined for one another. The conclusion was made because Nagi caught Isagi’s scent on that person's hand and sleeve after that person had taken the brown paper bag of pastries from Isagi earlier that same day.

“You mean the purple hair guy yesterday?”

Kunigami nodded. _ **“Yes. His name is Reo. He loved your beef provolone by the way.”**_

“That’s cute but as apology for not including me in the interrogation, I still want that pie from the bakery you brought last time.”

Chigiri laughed before he shrugged and said, _**“Consider it done. How did Nagi do?”**_

Bachira smiled sheepishly with a semi-frown on his forehead, “Well… He kept on winning points and losing points at the same time but Isagi was definitely smitten~ In his own way, of course. Nagi didn’t look like much but I think Isagi felt his emotions through their bond.”

Both Kunigami and Chigiri smiled at that.

“And he walked Isagi home.”

Chigiri lifted one eyebrow and incredulously pointed out, _**“You live upstairs.”**_

“Exactly.”

 _ **“That’s… That’s actually kinda cute,”**_ Chigiri nodded slowly.

Kunigami sighed. _ **“We gotta tell Reo. He probably doesn't know they’ve met already. He would've informed us about it before you did.”**_

Bachira excitedly said, “Give me his number, we can add him to the group!”

Chigiri and Kunigami gave Bachira a surprised look.

“What? Isagi’s business is our business. And since Reo is Nagi’s business and Nagi is Isagi’s business, that means we need to expand the group chat.”

 ** _“Can’t argue with that,”_** Kunigami smiled.

Unbeknownst to Reo, Kunigami, Chigiri and Bachira, for Isagi and Nagi, it was like a missing puzzle piece of theirs had finally been placed into its designated slot. For Nagi, inspiration from his animated soulmate allowed him to finally able to let out the music that was locked inside him. The ‘life’ he had been missing was somehow triggered the moment he first got a whiff of Isagi’s scent. Similarly for Isagi, his designs and modelling had finally gained a particular flare that reflected not only the completion of his true self but the insufferable nature of his soulmate. To not have felt Nagi’s existence for years and then suddenly having to deal with the foreign emotions was both tedious and exciting for Isagi.

Throughout the night while they were both making their first masterpieces, there was nothing but the other in their thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry there's only indirect nagisagi / isanagi in this chapter but I promise more floof next chapter okay? See you tomorrow!

**Author's Note:**

> No, there will not be any 'heats' or mentions of it in this one, it's just our bllk boys being dumb and awkward with a pinch of alpha/beta/omega dynamics. In this universe, everyone has a primary and secondary gender. The primary gender is determined when you were born and the secondary gender is determined when you're of age and present either as an alpha or omega. Failure to present by age 16 usually means you're a beta. BUT you only present your dominant genes. Your recessive genes can be any of the three sub-gender genes.
> 
> So an omega with recessive alpha genes usually have physical omega traits but some underlying alpha traits such as being dominant, aggressive, etc. And if an alpha has recessive omega genes, they would look and smell like an alpha but their territorial habits and actions are much less suffocating / provocative as an alpha who has recessive alpha genes. Lastly, having recessive beta genes would simply mellow out the dominant genes. An omega would be slightly less submissive but not as dominant and vice versa for alphas. Betas don't really have highlighted characteristics except for their normal behaviour compared to alphas who can get into a rage-like mood when provoked or omegas who like to nest. Also both alphas and omegas are territorial compared to a beta.
> 
> Everyone scentmarks, it's the norm.


End file.
